Illuminated rotatable display stand



Dec. 2l, 1937.

F. c. TAYLOR 2,102,982

ILLUMINATED ROTATABLE DISPLAY STAND Filed Jan.' '12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I* I ,Fred TayZar 4Patented Dec. 2l, 193.7

Fred C. Taylor, Hammondsport, N.'

to The Taylor Wine Company,

Y., a partnership,

Taylor, Clarence W. Taylor,

N. Taylor, Greyton H.

Y., assigner Hammondsport, ,consisting of Fred C.'

Flora Taylor Keeler, and Lucy Taylor Zimmer Application January 12, 1937, Serial No. 120,279

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a display stand for articles of merchandise, such, for instance, as bottlesof wine or other beverages.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device which will display the articles in such a manner that the contents may be viewed, and to this end, illuminating means are l -provided to illuminate the contents from the rear.

It is a further object of the invention to support the articles being displayed in a rearwardly inclined position, so that the articles may be more conveniently seen as they are tipped back away from the position of theobserver. In accomplishing this object, the bottles or other containers are mounted in the edges of a 'pyramid shaped supporting body so that they are inclined rearwardly along the inclined`edges of the body.

It is a further object to provide a display stand which may be constantly in motion, thereby to attract the attention of an observer, and for this purpose, I mount the display stand for rotation about a vertical axis. It is a further object to provide a display stand of the character set forth, which is of simple construction and which can be readily assembled and collapsed to'facilitate its installation and removal.

An embodiment of the display stand of .the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it must be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction disclosed therein and described below.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display stand with a plurality of bottles supported thereon;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, with the bottles removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevatiorl of one corner of the stand, with a bottle removed.

The display stand comprises generally a base I0, a pyramid-shaped body II, and a supporting standard I2. The base is made up of vertical side walls I3, I4, I5, I6 which, depend from-a horizontal portion I'I so as to enclose the driving mechanism I8 hereafter referred to. The base may be made of any appropriate material, such as sheet metal, cardboard, ilbre board, or the like.

The main body portion II of thedisplay stand comprises side walls 20, 2i, 22, 23. Each of these 'side walls is of generally triangular shape and. they are hinged together at their adjacent edges to form substantially a pyramid. The sidewalls may conveniently be made of cardboard or the like and the hinged joint may be provided by lining'the inside of the panels with flexible material, or by providing fabric hinge strips adjacent the joints.

The upper end of each side may be cut away in a fancy design, if desired, as indicatedat 25, to provide a top opening for the device, to permit the projection of light upwardly from the interior of the stand, as hereinafter described. The shape of the upper ends of the panel may conveniently be such as to form a part of the design of' any desired pictorial or advertising matter printed on' the panels.

The edges of the pyramid-shaped body of the display stand are cut away or otherwise formed as at 26, and the margins of the cut-out portions serve to receive and support the bottles 21, 21', 23, 28', 29 which are to .be displayed. The shapeof each cut-out portion 26 is such that a bottle is snugly received therein, with the surface' of the bottle in substantial contact with the margins of the aperture all the way around. Because oi the angular relation of the side walls and the fact that the bottles are' supported in apertures formed at the junction of the walls, more than 1/2 of the surface of eachbottle will be exposed to view outside of the apertures. When a four-sided pyramid' is used, in fact, more than 1% of the surface of each bottle will be exposed to view. In any event, a better display of the bottles will result by reason oi? the fact that they are supported in apertures formed on the corners rather than in apertures formed in the plane face of a supporting panel. When wine bottles and the like are used, portions o'f the sidewalls adjacent the edge, as at29, project upwardly into the recess in the bottom of the bottle, to assist in holding the bottle in place.

A convenient means for rotating the display stand and for illuminating the articles to be displayed is shown in Figure 2. A base plate I2 is provided with an upstanding central column 30. A lateral bracket 3I carries an electric motor I3 and a speed reducingmechanism 32 which drives a pinion 33. A relatively large spur gear 34 isrjournaled on the upperend of the central post 30, in mesh with the pinion 33, whereby a relatively slow rotation may be imparted thereto. The gear 34 is attached to the horizontal section I'I of the base I0.. and thereby supports the io-A ners of the pyramid-sha the wire 3B, the light 31 isl 2' entire' display there is a tube stand. Interiorly of the post 3l 35 which projects upwardly above the plate I1. The tube carries an electric socket 36 and an electric light bulbl l 31. A branch line, not shown, leads from the electric wires 38 for the motor up through the tube 3l to carry electric current to the socket. and the bulb.

In operation, the bottles to be displayed are supported in they apertures 28 adjacent the corped body. When current is supplied through illuminated and the motor Il is driven, to rotate the entire stand. The illumination from the light projects outwardly through the apertures and through the contents of the bottle to illuminate the wine or other contents. Since the panels are preferably of the light shining through Vthe bottles will be striking, and an effective display will be accomplished as the bottles slowly revolve about a vertical axis andpass into and out of the view of the observer. Moreover, the provision of the opening at the apex of the pyramid provides an upwardly projecting 1- beam of light which is an effective means of attracting attention and which enhances the beauty of the device as a whole. y

It must be understood that the invention is not limited to a four-sided pyramid, as any appropriate number of sides may be used. Moreover, the invention is not limited to' the details of construction heretofore described. but includes al1 devices coming within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

I claim:

1. A display stand for a glass bottle or the like. comprising inclined, upwardly tapering side walls joined together at their edges in angular relation and providing a longitudinal corner, the side walls adjacent the corner being cut away to provide an opening, the edges of 'the opening being of a shape to snugly fit the surfaces of a bottle to support the same in a rearwardly inclined position with more than of the surface of the bottle exposed outside of said opening.

2. A display stand for glass bottles or the like comprising side walls joined together at their edges and forming a body in substantially the form of a pyramid, each of the edges' of said pyramid being cut away to provide openings, the edges of each opening being of a shape to snugly fit the surfaces of a bottle to support the same in a rearwardly inclined position with more than 1/2 of the surface of each bottle exposed outside of the opening in which it is supported.

3. A display stand for glass bottles and the like opaque material, the contrast'A of l thereof, said base pyramid.

aioaosa comprising a base and upstanding side walls supported on and conned by together along their vertical edges in angular relation to form substantially a regular pyramid. the edges of said pyramid being cut away to provide apertures, the margins of each aperture being shaped to snugly nt the surfaces of a bottle to support the same in aperture with more than 1/2 of the surface of the bottle exposed outside of said aperture.

' 4. A display stand for glass bottles or the like comprising a base supported for rotation about a vertical axis, means for rotating said base, a pyramid shaped body supported on and confined by said base for rotation therewith, said body having its edges cut away to provide apertures' shaped to snugly nt the surfaces of the bottles to support each bottle in alrearwardly inclined position with more than 1A of the surface of each bottle exposed outside of its apertures.

n5. A collapsible display stand for bottles and the like comprising abase and a substantially said base and joined pyramid shaped body formed from sheet material A side walls, said walls being secured along their edges for relative movement to permit collapse having upstanding marginal flanges engageable with the side walls to prevent relative movement and collapse thereof, the side walls being cut away adjacent the edges of the pyramid to provide openings, the edges of the openings being shaped to closely lit the surfaces of the bottles adapted to be supported therein and serving to support the bottles in a rearwardly inclined position with more than y.; of the surfaces of the .bottles exposed outside of the openings.

6. A display stand for a base, and a plurality of opaque, sheet material side walls supported on 'and conned by said base and joined together along `their edges in substantially the form of a regular, four-sided pyramid, said sheet material being cut away `adjacent the edges of the pyramid to provide apertures, one along each inclined edge of the pyramid, each lof said apertures being shaped to fit snugly the surfaces of a bottle to support the bottles on the edges of the pyramid in rearwardly inclined positions with a major portion of the surface of each bottle exposed exteriorly of the pyramid and a minor portion thereof concealed within the opaque side walls, certain of said apertures being shaped differently from. other apertures, whereby differently shaped bottles, adapted to contain different kinds of wine, may be supported on different edges of the FRED C. TAYLOR.

wine bottles comprising 

